I have a few questions for the medical team on here. I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 13 and after taking other medications put on Valproic acid when i was 18. Since then I am sizure free.
I am 30 years old now and diagrosed with MDD in 2002, when I volunterily was submitted in a phychiatric hospital for 6 weeks. Since then i had ups and downs but recently my depression is unbearable.
I cannot get out of bed.. everything is pointless and hopeless, I have panic attacks when i try to go shopping or on errands.
Now i was doing a little research in the internet and found out that a side effect of valproic acid is depression. Would a change of antiepileptics help my depression? Would it be advisable? For antidepressants I was taking cipramil 40 mg a day till Jan. but now my GP put me on duloxetine 60 mg a day which doesn t seem to help yet.
Apart from this i am taking Vitamin B complex and a multi mineral. Any sugesttions other treatment options? I d be grateful for some advice.

Depression is not a side effect of Valproic acid. If depression was side effect of Valproic acid you would develop depression soon after you started taking Valproic acid. So, it doesnât seem likely to me that change of the antiepileptic drug will help to overcome the depression. Any change of the antiepileptic drug must be approved by a neurologist.
Your panic attacks are probably part of some larger depressive disorder. Duloxetine belongs to the group of selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors which are new generation of antidepressants. It needs a several weeks to take effect.
You can consult some psychiatrist about your depression.

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